Starter Guide (Revision 1383)

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings is a more complicated game than some might realize. It has adjustable difficulty settings, but you don’t have to play on the easiest setting to get through everything. Proper mastery of the game requires your understanding on a few points. Learn what the basics are and learn how to apply them. Then you’ll be able to overcome every challenge.

Game Progression

As you work through the game, you’ll explore a Prologue section and three chapters, each with available side quests. You can find exhaustive information about each of those chapters and quests in the Walkthrough and Side Quests sections of this guide. However, those who prefer to rough it can still benefit from a few tips.

Firstly, the game will update your Journal as you progress through each chapter. You can check there and you will see a list of quests in your current chapter. A green check mark indicates that a quest has been completed. A red ‘X’ means that you have failed a quest in that chapter and can no longer complete it. If a quest is a story quest, you’ll see a gray shield indicator to its left. Side quests will have no such indicator. This makes it easy to track quest progress, particularly since many of the quests intertwine as you advance through the game.

When you are working on a quest, a circular medallion will indicate which quest is currently active. You can go to your journal and select a different quest to progress at any time. When you do so, any map markers (pointing the way to quest objectives) will update and you’ll see your next objective listed within the Journal itself. Always make sure that you have the desired quest selected and active if you want to have an easy time satisfying any goals.

Keep in mind that when you talk to important characters, you’ll typically see several dialog options. If an option pertains to an ongoing quest, it often is highlighted in yellow or there will be a fuller description of what that particular choice will accomplish in parentheses to the right side. If a choice requires a Sign, you’ll see a symbol to the left indicating whether you will have to use persuasion or intimidation to get what you want.

Skills

You can teach Geralt new skills as you progress through the game. These skills can make him a more competent alchemist, warrior or sorcerer. The way it works is that you gain 1 talent every time you advance a level. Every 1000 points you earn allows you to advance a level. You earn points by defeating enemies or (if you want to earn many points at once) by completing quests and side quests.

As you start through the prologue, you’ll be able to learn only general skills along the top side of the cross-shaped skill tree. After you arrive in the first chapter, the other directions open up and you can either push fully in one direction or spread your skills out a bit. As mentioned, there are three basic disciplines:

Swordplay

This is good when you want to prove a strong melee fighter, and is perhaps the best discipline to master. You can increase your vitality (so that you have a longer life meter), improve vigor regeneration (so that you can strike more frequently and block incoming attacks) and master the art of attacking multiple enemies at once. It’s also possible to learn killing moves that make later battles a breeze.

Alchemy

You’re able to brew a number of potions that you can consume before battle. These make you a tougher warrior. If you master alchemy, your potions will prove more effective, but you’re still pouring your character progressions into something that requires continued investment over the course of the game. It may be a bit too involved for some.

Signs

In the world that Geralt inhabits, signs are magic. You can use powerful signs to turn battles in your favor whether you advance along this path or not, but if you choose to improve your signs you can affect their duration and the impact they will have on enemies. Signs are a useful skill that can supplement but never replace your swordplay. They’re an interesting thing to explore, but probably something you’ll find more useful on a second or third trip through the game.

Another thing to note is that each skill has two active levels. The first level gives you some benefit of the skill, and then you can apply a second talent point to master that skill and receive extreme benefits. For instance, at the first level you might add 5% resistance to a hazard, while the second level adds 15% for a sizable increase.

Finally, some skills can be further upgraded with collectible items known as mutagens. If you see a circle on the edge of a skill on the skill tree, the circle means that a single mutagen can be applied. You should consider carefully before you add one, since there’s no apparent way to update which mutagen is added later.

Crafting & Equipment

If you’re having a tough time with the game, there’s a good chance that you simply haven’t learned to take full advantage of your available resources. While potions and such can give you a slight boost, though, the most important thing you can do to ensure your success is keep up on the latest equipment.

Geralt is capable of carrying two swords. One is a steel sword, which is most useful against human foes. The other is a silver sword, which tears through nekkers, rotfiends, harpies and other monsters with ease. Near the start of the game, in Chapter 1, you’ll have to craft a silver sword to replace one you lose, but after that the game won’t force you to visit a blacksmith ever again. You’re expected to do that on your own!

You can obtain some new weapons and armor in treasure chests hidden throughout dungeons. Many of the best swords that you can find lying around are only available in side quests. Other fine blades can’t be found at all and must be crafted if you want to obtain them. This is a two-part process. First, you should find a diagram in a chest or you should find a merchant in Flotsam, Vergen, Aedirn or Loc Muinne who sells them. Diagrams tend to be expensive, but they’re worth it. Once you have the diagram for a promising weapon or piece of armor (you can preview the stats before purchasing), then you need to assemble the ingredients. These often can be purchased from smiths and other merchants, and popular items such as Timber and Silver Ore can be found in some dungeons and houses. Then you need to visit a crafter or blacksmith and pay his fee while supplying him with the necessary components.

Once you have had the desired weapon crafted, you can equip it and use it however you like. Note that some gear has slots and can be upgraded. If that’s the case, you’ll see little bubbles next to the item’s name in your inventory. Late in the game, you can find gear with as many as three empty slots. You can permanently attach runes yourself from your menu. There’s no need to pay a smith. Runes sometimes will add to the damage a sword can inflict or to an armor’s general rating, but more often they’ll add defense against incineration, poison and other maladies.

If enemies in an area are consistently giving you trouble, make sure that you have the best gear equipped and that you are fighting with the right type of sword (steel or silver). Odds are good that your next confrontation will go the way you want it to go.

Final Tips

Once you know all of the above, there are a few final tips that can help to improve your mastery of the game, and your enjoyment on the way to that mastery.

Save

The game will auto-save your progress at key points, but sometimes you might make a lot of progress just wandering around and that isn’t saved as frequently. It takes only a moment to save and to spare yourself grief down the road.

Meditate

If you don’t like wandering around in the dark, or if a quest calls for you to visit someone at a certain time of the day, you don’t have to just wander around while time slowly passes. Pause and access the menu, then meditate to select from several points during the day. It’s a great shortcut and doesn’t cost you anything.

Mix it up

Don’t rely just on swordplay, particularly if you’re playing on high levels. Blocking attacks drains your vigor meter and eventually you’re bound to take damage if you play that game. Get good at rolling out of the way of attacks, or learn skills so that you can deflect projectiles such as arrows. You should also roll out of the way when possible if you see that enemies are about to swarm or rush you. I would also recommend using the quen sign and leveling that up on your character.

You’re bound to find other strategies along the way that suit your own particular style of play, but now you know everything that you need to know to make your journey through The Witcher 2 a successful one. Good luck!